Former President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made their first in-person appearance together at a South Bronx early childhood center, where they met with families, read to toddlers, and joined in singing “Wheels on the Bus.”
“In between singing wheels on the bus, the two leaders discussed the Mayor’s vision for this City, and the importance of giving New York’s Cutest have the strongest start possible,” the mayor’s office said in a press release.
Mamdani posted a recap video of the visit on X, adding that it was about “building a City where families can thrive and every classroom is full of this much joy.”
Video from the visit showed Obama and Mamdani sitting together in a classroom.
At one point, a child told Mamdani, “I know your name. Mamdani.” Obama then asked the child what Mamdani’s first name was. The child replied, “Mayor.”
Later in the classroom, Obama asked the children whether Mamdani had been the best singer. When the children answered yes, Mamdani replied that they were “just being nice” to him. One child then said Mamdani was “the best in the world,” prompting Obama to tell the mayor, “You got your hype man here.”
Before leaving, Obama joked that he would need help getting up from the floor because he was old.
As Obama and Mamdani left the facility, Obama voiced support for the mayor’s child care plans.
“This is what we need, making an investment in these amazing kids,” Obama told reporters.
The meeting followed a November phone call between Obama and Mamdani shortly before Election Day. According to previous reporting, Obama told Mamdani he had run an “impressive” campaign and offered to be a “sounding board” if he won.
Mamdani had sharply criticized Obama years earlier. In 2013, Mamdani posted on social media that Obama was “pretty damn evil” in reference to U.S. military engagements overseas during Obama’s administration.
Earlier this month, Mamdani enlisted rapper Cardi B, known for the sexually explicit 2020 hit “WAP” (“Wet Ass Pussy”) and for threatening to attack ICE agents and Trump supporters, to promote his proposed “2-K” program for two-year-olds, which would provide free child care and launch with 2,000 seats this fall, including seats in the Bronx.
Mamdani explained the city would begin enrolling families in June and announced a contest for New Yorkers to create a jingle for the program, with Cardi B agreeing to help judge the entries.
The South Bronx appearance also came the same week Mamdani said on NBC’s Meet the Press that his focus remains on 2026 and that he is “proud to say that I am not, and will never be, running for president.”